Sellers on eBay have capitalized on TikTok's uncertain fate in the U.S. by selling secondhand phones for thousands of dollars with the app pre-installed.
According to Wired, listings for phones with TikTok installed have proliferated on the online marketplace amidst the TikTok ban saga. On Jan. 18, U.S. users were denied access to the app with a pop-up saying, "A law banning TikTok has been enacted in the U.S. Unfortunately, that means you can't use TikTok for now." But the very next day, TikTok was back because President Trump had pledged to postpone the ban for 75 days so his administration could "determine the appropriate course forward."
With its status in limbo, TikTok is not available to download on the Apple and Google app stores. This has prompted eBay sellers to take advantage of the situation and try to profit from its uncertain future.
At the time of publication, a search for "TikTok phone" produces over 24,000 results, with the lowest "Buy it Now" listing selling for $400 and the highest asking for (checks notes) $4,970,400 million with CapCut, a video editing app also owned by ByteDance pre-installed in addition to TikTok.
Others are being auctioned for $1,000,000 in the auction category. Unsurprisingly, these listings currently have zero bids. However, the mid- to low-tier auction listings in the $50 to $500 range have dozens of bids. Mashable found an iPhone 13 with TikTok installed, which currently has 5 bids and is auctioning for $10,000. So, at least some people are willing to pay a premium for access to TikTok.
TikTok and other ByteDance apps are unavailable to download in the U.S. because the TikTok ban law, Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act (PAFACA), has not been officially repealed. According to a support page on the Apple App Store, "Apple is obligated to follow the laws in the jurisdiction where it operates."
More details about the app's functionality follow, saying, "If you already have these apps installed on your device, they will remain on your device. But they can't be redownloaded if deleted or restored if you move to a new device." In-app purchases and new subscriptions are no longer allowed on TikTok, and U.S. users won't receive updates, meaning functionality and performance might degrade over time.
So, if you bought a new phone after Jan. 19 or recently deleted TikTok, you would've been out of luck. But thanks to eBay, there's still hope, but it comes with a price.
